Clemson, S.C. – Halloween spirit filled the air as fans in costumes and Clemson orange packed the stands, but this Clemson Mens soccer team showed something more striking tonight – heart, intensity, and pride. Despite leading 3–1, the Tigers ultimately shared the spoils in a 3–3 draw with Virginia Tech on Senior Night.
Senior Night Tradition: First off I’d like to talk about the unity of a night like tonight. Clemson has a great tradition where every senior receives their shirt number framed with their name stitched in plated gold lettering. This is to honor the players giving their all in practices, games and to honor the legacy of Clemson Athletics.
One to a Hundred: Clemson needed a game where they set the tempo and dictated the speed of play after being against the run of play the whole 90 minutes against Virginia in the 4-0 defeat. They did just that and more against the Hokies but with the traditional theme of “in the first half” being a common theme. They specifically changing the speed of which they usually play at to a faster tempo. For the first goal Remi Okunlola created free space down the sideline playing a quick one two with Nathan Richmond and squaring the ball into Wahabu Musah who struck gold at the near post with a red hot shot to the top right corner of the net. Abdou Mane netted a second and his first of his career poking home a cross at the back post. For the third Musah caught himself center stage again receiving a penalty call which was converted by Mason Jimenez.
Halloween Scaries: Clemson and Virginia Tech must have both taken the “Scary” aspect of this being a Halloween game seriously as this was a hard watch for both sides. Virginia Tech looking vulnerable at the back for the first half and Clemson not being able to hold onto their 3-1 lead in the second created a scene that became scrappy and ugly for both sides.
Adversity Sparked a Response: Clemson conceded late on in the first half to a Beltran Alvarez header and all of a sudden United was on upset watch. What we’ve learned this season is when Clemson is under pressure they haven’t played their best with games like VCU, Queens and Virginia being prime examples of this. This pressure however led to a different more calculated approach in the second half with eventual goal scorer Abdou Mane playing a more advanced role and adding a fire to the Clemson midfield. When the game became a deadlock at 3-3 our adjustment was playing the ball down the right side more, getting Okunlola even more involved then he was in the first.
Level Result, Tournament Focus: All eyes now turn toward the ACC Tournament. While the 3–3 draw wasn’t the ideal ending, it served as a valuable test of resilience and composure. With this result in mind, all truths will soon be told and Clemson’s real identity will be revealed when postseason play begins.
